It is not often you get agreement between the manager and players of a side who have just won 5-0 that they need to do much better.

Yet those are the standards Jurgen Klopp has now set at Liverpool. His side did well enough as Swansea self-imploded in the second half at a freezing Anfield, yet the truth is, until then, the game rarely got above the level of a frozen turkey.

“You look at the scoreline and think it must have been easy, that we did really good, but we didn't. It wasn't perfect, it wasn't easy,” the manager complained afterwards.

“It wasn't a perfect, not very good first half, and we had these few problems. But we did better in the second half and I think we really had to work hard for the victory.”

Klopp was right to be unimpressed by his side, despite the scoreline. Only a brilliant Phlippe Coutinho goal warmed the first half, and Liverpool could have been in real trouble had they not faced opponents, whose own temporary manager were simply not professional enough.

“At a place like this you need a 7 to 8 out of 10 performance from everyone to get any sort of result, but when you are making basic mistakes that are at academy level, then they are going to punish you,” caretaker Leon Britton admitted.

“We have all been in situations when you face a difficult situation, and you have to remained focused, be professional. And to be honest I didn't see that out there at times. After we conceded the second goal all belief and confidence drained from the players.”

Philippe Coutinho celebrates (Image: PA)

That moment changed a dull game, as the floodgates opened with two goals from Roberto Firmino and firsts for Trent Alexander-Arnold and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The near impossible job facing the next Swansea manager was summed up by the fifth and final goal, as the visiting defence disgracefully ran up the white flag. If the final three goals were all diabolical, then this one somehow stood out.

As Trent Alexander-Arnold tried to work an opening on the right of the box, three defenders stood and watched, then allowed Oxlade-Chamberlain to muscle his way onto the blocked ball and volley it into the roof of the net.

There was no desire. No fight. Just acceptance. It was a goal to give Gary Neville apoplexy. But also one to give any potential new boss a chill down the spine...and strong second thoughts. That is how far Swansea have now sunk, they are toxic for any new boss.

Roberto Firmino scores his second and his side's fourth goal (Image: Getty Images)

The painful truth was that Liverpool in the first half of this contest were not really at it. They lacked their usual energy and fizz in the pass, and they were lucky it was a demoralised and defeated Swansea who turned up at Anfield.

Opponents even half interested would have given them problems, and they barely deserved their half time lead – except for the fact it was such a sublime goal from the supreme talent of Philippe Coutinho, that goal deserved to win any match.

As Firmino stole the ball, Jordan Ayew went down far too easily, to allow the Brazilian to feed Salah, who fizzed a pass into Coutinho...and a brilliant, whipped, curling shot did the rest.

Trent Alexander-Arnold celebrates scoring (Image: REUTERS)

Perhaps Liverpool knew that was enough for victory against a side who didn't remotely look like scoring a goal, with the willing but wildly inexperienced Oliver McBurney a lone, ineffective forward, and Ayew a flitting influence.

In the end. The Reds had to do little to produce a scoreline that didn't reflect the mundanity of the contest. The second came on 52 minutes when Firmino atoned for a bad miss just before half time, by volleying home a Coutinho free kick, with no defender in sight.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain scores (Image: REUTERS)

Each goal that followed more painful. As Robertson's cross from the left on 65 minutes was headed out by Alfie Mawson, Alexander-Arnold started 15 yards behind Ayew but got to the ball first, and smashed it into the roof of the net to gleefully celebrate his first Premier League goal.

Leroy Fer's back-pass was even worse a minute later, as he gave the ball straight to Salah, who unselfishly squared for Firmino to tap in. Then came the collective shambles that allowed Oxlade-Chamberlain his first Anfield goal.

If that all sounds harsh on the Reds, then they did have the two Brazilliant Brazilians in Coutinho and Firmino, who were head and shoulders above the rest, and warmed the hearts and hands on a freezing evening.

But Klopp's men will have to be much better than this to win anything this season, as the manager himself admitted afterwards.